Junction chamber for equalizing pressure of conditioned-air supply incorporating returned-air duct



Dec. 28, 1965 R. M. STEELE 3,225,677

JUNCTION CHAMBER FOR EQUALIZING PRESSURE 0F CONDITIONED-AIR SUPPLYINCORPORATING RETURNED-AIR DUCT Filed Oct. 10, 1965 OP l H I I, I I I Ii l [F0 n I I I l l I l l I l I i i 1 I m E l a I I I I is:

. INVE TOR.

United States Patent 3,225,677 JUNCTION CHAIVEER FOR EQUALIZING PRES-SURE OF CONDITIONED-AIR SUPPLY INCOR- PORATING RETURNED-AIR DUCT RichardM. Steele, P.0. Box 1121, Stockton, Calif. Filed Oct. 10, 1963, Ser. No.315,273 2 Claims. (Cl. 98-33) This invention relates to the equalizationof the pressure of a volume of conditioned-air introduced into andcontained Within a chamber, the chamber holding the supply ofconditioned-air which may be tapped by two, or more, outlet ducts as maybe desired or required.

Various air-conditioning units of reversible type, known in thevernacular as heat-pumps, that is, for supplying air heated orrefrigerated as desired, are presently in use or under development. Oneobject of this invention, as titled above, is to provide means by which,when used in combination with such an air-conditioning unit, orheat-pump, the conditioned-air produced thereby may be equallypressurized within a chamber, for the purpose, causing an evenlypressurized supply of the conditionedair to outlet ducts. In addition tothis novel and valuable object, there is, further, the object to providea compact arrangement by which the outlet ducts may be readily andconveniently spaced in attachment to the junction chamber so thatconditioned-air, from the chamber, tapped by ducts, may be directed inmultiple directions to the desired, or required, areas for use. Thechamber, itself, is installed, generally, within or through, adjacent orcontiguous to a wall or ceiling segment, floor, or the like. Also,another important and novel object of the invention of this particularchamber is to provide a suitable and compact means by which the returnof air from areas of use, such returned-air being generally exhausted ofits air-conditioned characteristics, is made directly to theairconditioning unit, or heat pump, through a returning-air duct sealedwithin and penetrating through the chamber.

The device is manufactured, preferably, of sheet metal, or of otherrelatively stiff fibre, plastic and rubber, or of material found ordeemed suitable, and the device is intended for installation primarilyby the construction and building profession or trade.

The heretofore stated novel and valuable objects of the invention may beascertained in greater detail by reference to the accompanying drawingwhich illustrates a typical embodiment.

FIGURE 1 is a plan view depicting the top of the junction chamber.

FIGURE 2 is a View of the front elevation of the chamber, drawn to thesame line as FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view with cut-away of approximatelythree-quarters of the front elevation, one of the outlet ducts, and theentire left side of the chamber, thus, showing the interior.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view diagrammatically indicatingthe relation of the junction chamber conjoined to an air-conditioningunit.

Referring to the drawing, the small numbers designate the same partsappearing in all the views.

In FIGURE 1, it is readily discernible that a chamber 1 is provided forholding, as in a reservoir, the supply of a volume of conditioned-air1a. Within this total volume 1a of the chamber 1, the conditioned-air 1ais found to be under a definite and given, even pressure by reason ofits physical containment within the chamber 1. The chamber 1 may havejoined to it in tapping attachment two, or more, outlet ducts 2, soattached to the front side 9, not overlooking the possibility that suchoutlet ducts 2, generally, may be so attached, also, to the top 4 asWell as to the right and left sides and the bottom of 3,225,677 PatentedDec. 28, 1965 "ice the chamber 1, as may be required. It follows thatthe conditioned-air 2a, supplied under pressure by the airconditioningunit, is conducted from the pressurized reservoir volume 1a via theoutlet ducts 2 in multiple directions to areas of use, elbows being usedin the continuation of the outlet ducts 2, as is well understood.

There is shown the returned-air duct 3 which is sealed within and whichpenetrates through the chamber 1. The returned-air duct 3 conducts thereturned-air, returning from areas of use, back through the chamber 1,that is, the volume 3a being entirely sealed off, airtight, from theconditioned-air volume 1a. The returned-air duct 3 is joined by methodof welding, or the like, at the points of penetration of the chamber 1,generally at the front side 9 and at the back side 5, so that thereturned-air duct 3, within and without, and the chamber 1 are madeairtight respectively.

Also, in FIGURE 1, diagrammatically, there is shown the back side 5 ofthe chamber 1 placed in position in airtight connection with the facesection 6 of an airconditioning unit, or heat pump.

In FIGURE 2, it will be observed that the back side 5 of the chamber 1is arranged as may be required to meet contiguously and to join to theface 6 of an airconditioning unit in two distinct, congruous, andairtight sections, or apertures, namely: upper 7 and lower 8, as shownby the dotted lines. The upper aperture 7 of the back side 5 is joinedto the upper section of the face 6 of the air-conditioning unit fromwhich section is supplied and obtained the conditioned-air 1a introducedinto the chamber 1, filling the volume 1a, as a reservoir, under adefinite, given pressure. The lower aperture 8 of the back side 5 isjoined to that section of the face 6 of the air-conditioning unit whichreceives back to itself the returned-air 3a for processing or treatment.It will be observed that the generally round, tubular returned-air duct3 may modify gradually to become rectangular, as it progresses throughthe chamber 1 from the front side 9 to the back side 5, therebypresenting a rectangular shape at the lower aperture 8 to fitcongruously and airtight to that section of the face 6 of theair-conditioning unit which receives the returned-air 3a, and which maybe substantially shaped to require such a rectangular shape at thetermination of the returned-air duct 3 to so fit. Other modification maybe made of the returnedair duct 3, without alteration of the operatingprinciple of this device and of the member, to terminate in square oroval shape, or other, and of different size, as may be required to fitas hereinbefore disclosed, depending upon the particular design of theconjoined air-conditioning unit, as is Well understood. Also, similarly,depending upon the particular design of an air-conditioning unit,modification of shape and size may be made as may be required of theupper aperture 7 of the chamber 1 pertaining to its congruous andairtight juncture with that section of the face 6 of the conjoinedair-conditioning unit from which section the conditioned-air 1a isobtained and introduced into the conditioned-air reservoir volume In.

In FIGURE 3, illustration is made of the conditionedair volume 1a withinthe airtight junction chamber 1, with the short, thick arrows indicatingthe general interior volume provided for the conditioned-air In, as in areservoir, including that volume totally surrounding, circumferentially,the penetrating returned-air duct 3 as it progresses through thechamber 1. The light dotted arrows indicate the returned-air volume 3awithin the returned-air duct 3, which is airtight also, the returned-air3a, thus, being conducted back to the air-conditioning unit.

Without alteration of the novel operating principle of this device, orof any members thereof, it is here specified that all of the surfaces ofthe junction chamber 1, in particular, all of the interior surfaces, aswell as the external surface of the within sealed returned-air duct 3,may be treated with insulation material, as indicated by the designatedsegment of insulation material 10, for the purpose of insuring greaterstability in the temperature of the conditioned-air 1a while it iscontained in the chamber 1, and to reduce or mufile vibratory soundwhich, otherwise, may be transmitted from the conjoined air-conditioningunit.

The preceding explanations of FIGURE 2 and FIG- URE 3 will generallyapply in describing the cross-sectional view, FIGURE 4.

In the foregoing there is disclosed and made manifest a distinctly noveland worthy device comprising a junction chamber which evenly pressurizesa volume of conditioned-air introduced therein for convenient andcompact supply through outlet ducts to areas for use, while returned-airis conducted through the junction by means of an incorporatedreturned-air duct penetrating, sealed within, and made airtight withinthe junction chamber.

As the disclosures herein might well be altered otherwise withoutdefeating their novel and practicable applications, I do not wish to beconfined to the embodiment illustrated herein further than I am limitedby the scope of the appended claims,

I claim:

1. A combination comprising airtight, contiguous and congrous junctureof an air-conditioning unit with a junction chamber defining an interiorreservoir volume with a top, bottom, front, back, and right and leftsides, the said back side comprising two apertures adapted to conjoinsaid chamber to said air-conditioning unit in said combination, thefirst said aperture providing means to join said back side in saidjuncture with the section of the face of said combined air-conditioningunit whence a supply of conditioned-air is introduced through said firstaperture under pressure to said interior reservoir volume Within saidchamber, a plurality of outlet ducts aflixed in tapping attachment tosaid chamber providing conduct of said supply of conditioned-air fromsaid interior reservoir volume, the second said aperture providing meansto join said back side in said juncture with the section of the face ofsaid combined air-conditioning unit to which air is returned, airtightmeans comprising a returned-air duct penetrating the said front side ofsaid chamber and passing directly through the said interior reservoirvolume of said chamber, sealed airtight at juncture of said penetratingand said front side of said chamber and at juncture to said secondaperture of said back side, there terminating in fitting juncture withsaid second aperture and said section of said face of saidair-conditioning unit in said combined combination.

2. A junction chamber having a top, bottom, front, back, and right andleft sides defining an interior reservoir volume, the said back sideadapted to join the said chamber in airtight, contiguous and congruousconjunction to the face of an air-conditioning unit, the said back sidecomprising two apertures, the first said aperture adapted to join insaid conjunction to the section of said face of said conjoinedair-conditioning unit whence conditioned-air is supplied under pressure,the said chamber adapted to contain the said supply of conditioned-airunder pressure Within said interior reservoir volume, a plurality ofoutlet ducts afiixed in tapping attachment thereto, the second saidaperture adapted to join in said conjunction to the section of said faceof said conjoined air-conditioning unit to which air is returned,airtight means comprising a returned-air duct penetrating the front sideof said chamber and passing directly through the said interior reservoirvolume of said chamber, sealed air-tight at juncture of said penetratingand said front side of said chamber and at juncture to said secondaperture of said back side, there terminating in modified size and shapeto fit said juncture of said second aperture and said section of saidface of said conjoined air-conditioning unit in said conjunction, saidreturned-air duct being surrounded circumferentially within said chamberby said interior reservoir volume within said chamber.

References Cited by the Examiner JAMES W. WESTHAVER, Primary Examiner.

FREDERICK L. MATTESON, JR., Assistant Examiner.

1. A COMBINATION COMPRISING AIRTIGHT, CONTIGUOUS AND CONGRUOUS JUNCTUREOF AN AIR-CONDITIONING UNIT WITH A JUNCTION CHAMBER DEFINING AN INTERIORRESEROIR VOLUME WITH A TOP, BOTTOM, FRONT, BACK AND RIGHT AND LEFTSIDES, THE SAID BACK SIDE COMPRISING TWO APERTURES ADAPTED TO CONJOINSAID CHAMBER TO SAID AIR-CONDITIONING UNIT IN SAID COMBINATION, THEFIRST SAID APERTURE PROVIDING MEANS TO JOIN SAID BACK SIDE IN SAIDJUNCTURE WITH THE SECTION OF THE FACE OF SAID COMBINED AIR-CONDITIONINGUNIT WHENCE A SUPPLY OF CONDITIONED-AIR IS INTRODUCED HROUGH SAID FIRSTAPERTURE UNDER PRESSURE TO SAID INTERIOR RESERVOIR VOLUME WITHIN SAIDCHAMBER, A PLURALITY OF OUTLET DUCTS AFFIXED IN TAPPING ATTACHMENT TOSAID CHAMBER PROVIDING CONDUCT OF SAID SUPPLY OF CONDITIONED-AIR FROMSAID INTERIOR RESERVOIR VOLUME, THE SECOND SAID APERTURE PROVIDING MEANSTO JOIN SAID BACK SIDE IN SAID JUNCTURE WITH THE SECTION OF THE FACE OFSAID COMBINED AIR-CONDITIONING UNIT TO WHICH AIR IS RETURNED, AIRTIGHTMEANS COMPRISING A RETURNED-AIR DUCT PENETRATING THE SAID FRONT SIDE OFSAID CHAMBER AND PASSING DIRECTLY THROUGH THE SAID INTERIOR RESERVOIRVOLUME OF SAID CHAMBER, SEALED AIRTIGHT AT JUNCTURE OF SAID PENETRATINGAND SAID FRONT SIDE OF SAID CHAMBER AND A JUNCTURE TO SAID SECONDAPERTURE OF SAID BACK SIDE, THERE TERMINATING THE FITTING JUNCTURE WITHSAID SECOND APERTURE AND SAID SECTION OF SAID FACE OF SAIDAIR-CONDITIONING UNIT IN SAID COMBINED COMBINATION.